


Nesure: Bird's Nest in Flames (aka Samezuka's Route)

by Ranchod_Tunnell



Series: Free! x3! [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reader-Insert, male!reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2018-12-15 20:36:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11813724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ranchod_Tunnell/pseuds/Ranchod_Tunnell
Summary: It's a new year but nothing's going right. Allyouwant to do is relax but your best friend's moved on to high school, his new roommate's emo,yournew roommate's crazy, and your parents are getting divorced. Long story short? You're screwed.





	1. And So It Begins

**Author's Note:**

> So! Here's the second part of the series that should have come out before Kifujin and after the first part that _still_ hasn't organized itself in my head yet...But that's okay! It'll work out eventually. Anyway this story takes place in Free! Iwatobi Swim Club. It's still the second in the series so there may be tiny details that don't make sense because there are events that happened in the first installment that haven't been posted yet but it's nothing too confusing. If so let me know and I'll try to fix it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for errors in advance. It is _ridiculously_ hard to write with 502 errors messing up literally every other word I add. I'm trying to catch them but if you see any feel free to let me know.

            You could only look on with a dejected sigh as your roommate and best friend packed up his side of the room into bags and set them beside the door. You knew this day was coming. He was a year older than you after all. Still, "This sucks."

 

            Aiichiro glanced over his shoulder at you sadly. His eyes were suspiciously wet. You hoped he wasn't about to start crying, "I know. I wish we could share a room forever. Well, not _forever_ , forever because that would be weird when one of us gets married or something but--you know what I mean."

 

           You huffed a laugh and nodded lightly, "Yeah. It's going to be weird going to school without you around."

 

           He smiled and went back to zipping up his suitcases, "It's weird since we obviously did it before but I can't remember what it was like now."

 

           "Well, it's definitely not going to be as fun," you groused. You eyed the grey-haired male passively when he straightened finally and glanced about the room. "You ready?"

 

           He turned his light blue eyes to you in surprise. You rolled your eyes and scoffed, "You had to know I'd help you move into your new dorm, love."

 

           His shoulders hunched up, his face wrinkled, and this time his eyes really did tear up, "...Thank you so much! I really appreciate it but I'll be fine." You frowned deeply in response. Heavy-lifting wasn't particularly good for either of you with the strain it put on your breathing but you were stronger than Aiichiro. It wouldn't bother you as much in the long run.

 

            You started to disagree but he tried to smile reassuringly and said, "I promise I'll come back and visit a lot! And maybe you can come visit me, too? I know I'll be pretty busy with the swim club if I get in but I don't want us to stop being friends."

 

            You sighed and dropped your chin onto the metal of the top bunk guardrails as Aiichiro loaded up his bags onto his shoulders. There was no point in pressing the issue. Aiichiro was stubborn and would only fight harder the more you did, "We won't stop being friends just because you moved up. I'll be following you next year and then it'll be back to the way it was before. It's just this year we've gotta get through."

 

            "I get the feeling that more than just us not being roommates anymore is bothering you," the silver-haired male said hesitantly.

 

            You furrowed your eyebrows a little. Really, you shouldn't be surprised that he could pick up on your moods. You'd roomed together for almost two years and he was your closest friend after your siblings but it still threw you off a bit, "Well, yeah. It's just I've got a bad feeling."

 

            His face exploded in a blush and he stumbled a little, "I-I thought we took care of that already!"

 

            You gazed at him incredulously for a moment before laughter burst from your lips. So maybe he wasn't _that_ perceptive but you'd still give him credit. "Not _that_ kind of feeling! Though I should probably give you something of mine to remember me by when you wake up," you teased.

 

           He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. His face scrunched up even more in response to his own speechlessness and you grinned. You were definitely parting with something from your porn stash if for no other reason than to see how he'd react when he found it. Aiichiro couldn't handle your silent jeering and hurried to switch topics, "W-Who do you think is going to be your new roommate?"

 

           "I don't know. I didn't care enough to check once I figured I was staying here. Probably some high-strung wannabe runaway who couldn't handle life at home and decided to try his luck here, thinking it'd be easier."

 

            Aiichiro frowned deeply, "That's not how I saw you."

 

            "Oh, please. You so did," you laughed at the uncomfortable shift in your friend's shoulders.

 

            "No, I didn't! Really! I just...thought you were going to be something of a burden at first."

 

            "Naturally," you scoffed good-naturedly.

 

            "And then it sort of flipped and all of a sudden I realized _I_ was the burden on _you_ and--"

 

            "Hardly," you interjected with a lazy grin.

 

            He glanced down at the wood under his feet then, "I just don't want it to be the same with my new roommate...I mean, I'm very grateful to you for being so nice and everything." He paused to smile at you appreciatively but that hard look returned between his eyebrows and his mouth twitched in that way it did when he was sad but didn't want to show it. "But not everyone's like that and I need to make sure I do my best to change."

 

           "You don't need to change, Ai." You tried not to sigh irritably. It was a recurring argument that he never seemed to learn anything from. "There's nothing wrong with you."

 

            "Thank you," he said. Just like he always did even though he never did a thing to alter his train of thought. So maybe he did need to change a little. That self-deprecating attitude was starting to wear on you.

 

           "And let me know if someone thinks otherwise. I'll bend them in half."

 

           "Right...," He laughed uncomfortably. "Well, I'd better get going. There's a lot to do today..."

 

            "Yeah, no problem." He opened the door. "I'll meet you later to rag on our new roommates later." You mumbled and stared dejectedly out into the hall. He wasn't the only one lugging bags around. You could see them moving about. Most were still middle schoolers like you though so they were only switching across the hall or a few doors down at the most.

 

            Aiichiro had been gone for all of two minutes before a whirlwind of a person ducked in through the doorframe. You gazed at him blankly as he cast his sharp golden eyes excitedly about the room. It wasn't anything particularly interesting. Just a small dorm with a bunk bed and two desks like every other dorm in Samezuka. It took him less than half a second to take it all in. Then he jerked around and flicked his eyes to the beds and came up short. His smile brightened though and he rushed up to the edge to peer up at you. He was cute in that boyish way most of Samezuka's students were. They were primarily athletes after all, "Hey! I'm Momotarou Mikoshiba but everybody just calls me Momo. What's your name?"

 

            "Nesure [L.Name] but most people just call me [Name]. How do you do."

 

            "Wow, seriously? Who says things like that anymore?" He said all of this with that impossibly bright smile still plastered to his ever so slightly tanned face.

 

            You stared at him for a moment, taking in his messy, vibrant, ginger hair and decently muscled form and sat up, "What year are you?"

 

            "Third," he boasted loudly before slinging his bag from his shoulders and following it to the ground. "I know you got here first and all but do you mind giving up the top bunk? I kinda prefer it."

 

            "So do I," you said simply and watched in fascinated revulsion as he started unloading _bugs_ from his luggage...

            

            "Wanna flip a coin for it?"

 

            "Not really. What _are_ those--?"

 

            "Stag beetles!" He supplied almost before you could finish speaking. "I collect them. Aren't they beautiful??

 

             "Uh...--"

 

            "So about the bed..."

 

            You smiled humorlessly, "I'm not giving it up."

 

            He tipped his head back at you and frowned, "Aww, c'mon dude! Be cool!"

 

            You raised your brows, "I am. You don't see me complaining about your pets, do you? Are those even allowed?"

 

            He pursed his lips and turned back to unloading his _things_ , "Alright fine. You keep the bed and I'll keep my beetles."

 

            "Glad that's settled."

 

            "Yeah, whatever, man." You quirked a brow minutely at his tone but let it slide with a huff.

 

            "At least the ice is broken, yeah?" You hummed sarcastically as you dropped to the floor. He stared at you slack-jawed as you rose smoothly to your feet. You quirked a brow and held up your thumb as you passed. "Good talk."

      

            He pushed your hand aside and scrambled to stand up, too, "H-Hey! Where're ya goin'?"

       

            "To get some breakfast. I'm starving."

        

            "Can I come?" He asked excitedly as he followed you out into the hall. Just then a couple of guys down the hall called out to him.

             

            "Momo!"

   

            "Mikoshiba! We're in the same hall!" They cried and sprinted down the narrow walkway. There were various shouts of surprise at their passing and a couple none-too-gentle shoves but they reached their target and slammed into him full force. He took their crash-landing like a tank. After the initial stumble to position his legs, he didn't move an inch. It was rather impressive and you wondered a little at his strength but not enough to linger.

 

            "I think it's best I went alone. I'd hate to spoil your bromantic reunion."

 

            "It's nothing like that! I'm a total lady's man!" He bragged and struck a rather pompous pose.

 

            You resisted the urge to roll your eyes and grumbled to yourself, "Great. Remind me _never_ to bring my sisters over..." Seriously, you _hated_ panty-chasers.

 

            "Dude!" You were surprised to see the orange ginger break away from his posse and scuttle after you. "You can't just say something like that and walk away!"

 

            "I...didn't think you'd heard me. Say _what_ , exactly?" You asked.

 

            "You've got a sister?" His amber eyes widened and you could practically see the gears turning behind their glittering depths. It pissed you off. "Is she cute?" Your eyebrow twitched but you smiled widely anyway.

 

           "Doesn't matter," you said pleasantly. "You touch, you die. Understand?"

 

           "...Yeah! Yeah, we're good! Got it! Sister's off limits. No problem!"

 

           You nodded, pleased by the terrified shudder that visibly tickled his spine at your tone, "Good. Make sure you let your friends know, too, okay?" You added when you spotted the duo sidling up beside the tall redhead to start chattering at him excitedly.

 

            He kept up his smile which you commended even though it was anxious in nature. Either way, the reaction was promising. It meant you wouldn't have to break any fingers when your sisters came to see you. If they could find the time to with everything going on anyway but better safe than sorry.

 

            "Hey, who is that guy?" The one with choppy brown hair asked in a staged whisper.

 

            "My new roommate. Apparently he's got a sister that we're not supposed to talk to so..." You could practically hear Mikoshiba rolling his eyes but you didn't care to antagonize him. He'd already shown some level of intelligence or at least self-preservation so you figured you'd let him keep his pride.

 

            His friend scoffed, "Yeah, whatever. That's cool. There are _tons_ of other girls for us to bag. He can keep his."

 

            The other leered at his friend, "When you say it that way you make them sound like a couple!"

 

            The other two guffawed and made a show of whispering amongst themselves. The implication wasn't appreciated and neither was their obvious subsequent gossiping but you were spared by Mikoshiba himself. The taller male leapt forward and bent his mouth to your ear and grinned excitedly, "Do you have a girl? Like a girlfriend or..."

 

            He attempted to elaborate when you kept your silence but eventually you said simply, "No."

 

            "Aww, come on! You don't havta lie to me. I won't come onto her or anything. I just wanna know."

 

            "And I told you 'no'. It wasn't a lie," you told him.

 

            "Really?" He seemed genuinely surprised by that. You suspected a small part of him still wasn't convinced but you couldn't be bothered to care. "Well I guess that's not so weird, right? It's not like there are any girls here."

 

            "..." Was he trying to console you? Your lips twitched up in amusement, "I'm not upset about it."

 

           "Well you should be! That's basically a crime!" His exuberance was a little too loud for your ears. You flinched but otherwise paid him no mind.

 

            Your reaction seemed to spark a lull in the conversation.

            For all of three seconds.

            Then the guy with the black hair--you should probably work on trying to get their names just in case they became familiar faces as you suspected they might--spoke up, "...Maybe he needs some tips? I mean we still get girls even though we go here."

 

            "Yeah! We could coach you!"

 

            "When's the next party? Do you know?"

 

            "Oh, my God..." you murmured to yourself with a disbelieving smile. You couldn't decide if you found the conversation funny or nauseating but either way, you were ready to be dropped from it. The tiny hall gave way to a large common room. To the right was a huge seating area with lots of lounge chairs, various forms of mild entertainment, and a vending machine. To the left was the grand staircase that led up to the next levels of the middle school rooms. Beyond both of these was the main entrance.

            Surely, you thought, they'd make a sharp left and ascend the stairs. Mikoshiba hadn't finished unpacking after all. There was bound to be more things in his old room and it couldn't have been on the ground floor if he'd followed you this far. Any moment now, the three males would branch off and you could complete your trek in peace...

 

            They didn't even spare the stairs a glance; trailing after you as obliviously as ducklings do their mother. It might have been cute in a different situation but as it was...

 

            "Why are you following me?" You asked.

 

            Your sudden stop tripped them up. They managed not to run into you though it was more thanks to your quick but subtle sidestep to one side than their attentiveness. Mikoshiba blinked at you with wide reptilian eyes, "You said you were going to breakfast, right?"

 

            "Well, yeah--"

 

           "Well, we're hungry, too!"

 

            You frowned lightly, "Don't you want to finish moving your stuff into the room first?"

 

            "We have all day to do that," Mikoshiba dismissed flippantly as he took your place as line leader. You rolled with it easily. He was the one moving in after all. It was his call at the end of the day and if he didn't care you saw no reason why you should. "Let's eat!"

 

             It was pretty easy to get lost amongst the Samezuka residential halls. There weren't any distinctive markings or architecture that indicated which buildings were which. They were all plain but impeccable brown brick buildings with large windows on the ground floors and small tall ones higher up. The middle school dorms were off to the far left while the high school ones were at the far right. The dining hall was in the middle and they were all decorated with slightly elevated grassy lawns cast amidst wide straight pristine cement pathways. Shadowy arched walkways connected the three buildings. Eventually they morphed into a high wall that wrapped continuously about the grounds, broken only by the grand arch that marked the entrance to Samezuka's residential compound.

            The dining hall was rather empty though that was not as uncommon as most would probably expect. It was a little counterintuitive. One might think at first that the dining hall would be busiest at breakfast since students get up so early for school anyway. There might even be the assumption that now that there's nothing on the agenda except to change rooms that there would be even more students trying to snag food.

            The truth was a little different and it was largely influenced by Samezuka's structure. During the school week, most students rose early and were away from the dorms to attend classes. There were only a few students who managed to get breakfast. Dinner brought the largest crowds since school was out by then while lunch brought the smallest. (No one wanted to catch the bus back home just to eat and return to school.) Breakfast could find a decent crowd during the week but by its end most students went home so despite having more time to sit down to meals, fewer people were actually there to enjoy them. Even now, many would miss out simply because they'd slept in or were too preoccupied with lugging bags to and fro.

            Your usual group of acquaintances typically came in with the lunch or dinner crowds. None of them ever had the time for breakfast so you were a little surprised to see a few of them lounging in the bright lime-green dining chairs.

            Your eyes were immediately drawn to a shock of silky straight gold hair when a thin white hand rose in the air and called, "[Name]-chan! Hello!"

 

            Your eyebrows rose and a smile pulled at your lips involuntarily. Your (color) eyes instinctively fluttered over the other members at the table and met the mercurial eyes of a ridiculously tall boy in your year. You made a sharp beeline for the pair and held out your hand to each of them in turn.

 

            "Hey, Aoyashi, Habagu. What are you doing here?"

 

            The sooty-haired raven--Habagu Bataku--grinned amusedly. The thick mustache on his upper lip tilted attractively as he cupped his cheek in his hand, "The same as you, I imagine."

 

            "That's not really an answer, is it?" The golden blond--Aoyashi Sasa--admonished simply before turning to you. "I'm waiting for my new room to be cleared. There was a problem with the windows that maintenance is trying to fix before I can move in."

 

            Habagu rolled his eyes but answered properly this time, "I'm staying in the same room so I figured I'd eat breakfast while I still can."

 

            You dipped your head and agreed easily, "Same here. Aiichiro just left and he didn't want help so I figured I'd get something to eat."

 

            Your eyes flicked over their trays and noticed they were mostly bare. A frown pulled at your lips. Aoyashi grinned knowingly and his slitted blue eyes glittered kindly when he said, "We'll wait for you. There's no classes today after all and neither one of us has plans--"

 

            "There's no classes for another month. All the new kids--"

 

            "What new one's there are, anyway," the brunet in Momo's group interjected.

 

            "--and the people going into middle and high school as first years still have all those ceremonies to sit through," Momo commented confidently.

 

           Your friends' eyebrows (or Aoyashi's anyway as Habagu's were largely nonexistent) rose in astonishment. Their eyes widened and locked with Momo's gold ones but the younger male only stared back brightly, almost challengingly if you dared to go that far. You couldn't pretend to be unaffected. Neither Aoyashi nor Habagu were particularly small people. Standing at 5'8 and 6'1 respectively, most people were absolutely terrified just to be in their presence let alone speak to them so brazenly.

 

            Aoyashi recovered first and tilted his head curiously, "Who are your friends? I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting them before."

 

            "This is my new roommate, Mo--"

 

            "Momo Mikoshiba. I'm his new roommate and these are my friends Daiku Foruwa and Kenma Zaishi. We're all third years."

 

            "So am I though I don't think I've ever seen you around before," Habagu said as he finally got over the initial shock.

 

            "We don't hang around on campus much."

 

            "I see. Well, it's nice to meet you Momo-chan, and Dai-chan, and Ken-chan," your blond friend started. The three third years almost bristled at the honorific but then he continued speaking and they decided it wasn't worth fussing over what a student so many years their senior wanted to call them. "My name is Aoyashi Sasa. I'm a second year in high school. You may call me Aoyashi if you like."

 

            "Are all of your friends so stiff?" Momo asked you rather loudly when you excused yourself to go grab some food. You half-expected him to keep pestering Aoyashi and Habagu but it seemed you'd made more of an impression on him than they did. Bummer.

 

            "I'm not sure. I never checked."

 

            His lips quirked at your cheeky tone and he tossed an arm over your shoulder and leaned heavily against your side. Your eyebrows rose so high they might as well have gone to the back of your head, "Y'know? I think I like you."

 

            "Thank you. Now get off," you dropped your shoulders from underneath his arm and strode forward as the line moved. He only laughed and followed after you, chattering excitedly about one thing or another...

 

            You sighed quietly and tuned him out. It was going to be a long year.


	2. First Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...this is taking forever once again because Microsoft doesn't translate here very well (worse than usual, actually considering every other sentence is riddled with â€œOh or â€�...) so please bear with me.

            You ended up slipping away to the high school dorms with Aoyashi after breakfast. The excuse you left with Momo and co. was that your best friend needed help unpacking his room. He understood and left you to it since he still had to unpack himself but you didn't think you'd always be so lucky. The truth was more like you'd had enough of the ginger and needed a break from his presence. He irritated you.

 

            "Oh, fix your face, [Name]-chan," Aoyashi admonished when you continued to fret all the way from the dining hall.

 

            "No," you protested petulantly.

 

            "Oh, [Name]..."

 

            You might have blushed at his childish reproach if you weren't so used to it, "He insulted you."

 

            "Sweetie, he only asked why Habi-chan doesn't shave his facial hair instead of letting it grow out."

 

            "He shouldn't have asked."

 

            "Why not? It's not like it's the norm, after all. How else would he have discovered it's genetic?"

 

            "That's none of his business!" You bristled. You immediately regretted your outburst, though, and hung your head with a heavy put-upon sigh. Aoyashi smiled knowingly and placed his arm across your shoulder.

 

            "You're so protective!" He cooed and squeezed you firmly to his side. "It's adorable." He continued when he released you. "But don't let it stop you from making new friends, okay? Remember, you have to live with him all year."

 

            You grumbled some noncommittal agreement as the golden blond smiled serenely and departed from you, "Tell Aiichiro I said 'hi'."

 

            "No problem," you drawled as you began your casual rove through the high school dorms. You hadn't bothered to confirm Aiichiro's room number. You figured trying to find it on your own the hard way would kill some time--give you an excuse to meet your best friend later, thus stay over longer, and ultimately avoid dealing with your own roommate too soon after your last encounter.

            The first floor didn't have as many rooms as the rest. Mostly because the floor plans needed to have some place to put bathrooms and lounging areas and storage rooms and a laundry area among other necessities for its residents. You supposed you could have asked the front desk--aside from providing various movies, snacks, cleaning supplies, and other miscellaneous paraphernalia the RAs were also responsible for keeping track of who was where. They could have told you Aiichiro's room number, who his roommate was, and where he was on the grounds just by looking up his name in the computer. You still couldn't decide if that was creepy or not even after so many years...still you supposed it was a better security measure than most--but there were only three other floors to search.

            You didn't even have to search all of them. When you read the tags of room 210, you found Aiichiro's name under one 'Rin Matsuoka'. It tickled your brain a little. The name was so girly. But then you remembered Samezuka was an all-boys institution so you dismissed it even before the notion could solidify.

            Your heart stuttered a little when you raised your hand to knock. It was a disappointing reaction. You thought you were getting better about meeting new people...And yet you still divulged into nervousness. It was so irrational. No one here could hurt you but you'd been so thoroughly surrounded by your siblings for so long over the break that you seemed to have relapsed a little. Not that you really cared about who his new roommate was.

            You used that thought as a suit of armor and steeled yourself enough to rap against the wood, "Hey, Aiichiro: are you in there?"

 

            Now it should be noted that you weren't a nosey person. You didn't particularly care about what went on with strangers when you weren't in their midst. And sometimes even when you were. Still you couldn't ignore certain things. Especially when you recognized certain sounds and were disgruntled by their implications.

            For example, after calling out to your best friend, your hearing confirmed that at the very least that he was in fact, home. You didn't expect him to be anywhere else considering but still: You heard him startle at your arrival. Immediately after you heard a rather gruff voice complain indiscernibly.

            Now, you could have taken offense because logic would dictate his irritation should be in direct response to your action. Because _clearly_   you'd interrupted something...And yet you kept your cool. It was normal for someone to react negatively to an intruder, you reasoned. Perhaps you were even being a little generous. One could hardly intrude on their best friend after all but still. You were good.

            Until the door swung open and instead of Aiichiro's light blue eyes, you found yourself looking up into fiery red ones. They shocked you if only because you'd never seen such strange eyes on anyone outside of the females in your family. Color aside, they were scary and yet not so at the same time.

            Like stained glass; when it was whole it was absolutely enchanting and, when damaged, as deadly as a knife.

            They were pretty sharp right now as they glared down at you; moving almost unperceptively over your form, taking you in, before ultimately deciding that he _didn't_ like what he saw. A shame.

 

            "What do you want?" Wow. How rude.

 

            "..." You thought about responding politely. About the pros and cons of pissing off this rather muscular dude...

            Not that he scared _you_ , mind. But Aiichiro had to live with him and you didn't want the meek little male to suffer on your account. This asshole seemed like the vindictive type. And yet you'd be damned if you allowed this fiery redhead to lay a hand on him so you shrugged dismissively in your mind and said, "I thought that was fairly obvious when I said 'Aiichiro' or don't you know your roommate's name yet?"

 

            His eyes narrowed dangerously.

            You had to admit he had quite a presence. Especially when he raised his chin and tilted his head in a challenging fashion. You supposed a lesser person would have been intimidated. You wouldn't lie: it set even _your_ heart racing. But it was the good kind if that could be believed.

            How strange.

            Maybe it was the fact that, even with all his puffing up, you could only focus on the glaring hole in his offensive stance? Like seriously. His neck was so wide open, it was practically begging you to cinch your arm around it.

            He clearly knew nothing about fighting and that alone just reduced his fear factor down so low, he'd do better squaring off against a kitten.

            The thought almost brought a smile to your lips--that's why you were so responsive. He was _cute_.--but you doubted he'd appreciate it very much so you refrained.

 

            "Who are you."

 

            It was a demand, not a question though you saw no reason to deny him. You owed him that much at least, "[Full Name], Aiichiro's best friend. Now are you going to let me in or not?"

 

            He jerked back minutely and blinked at you almost quizzically.

            Maybe he was wondering why his angry blustering failed? Maybe he was thrown off by your name? Maybe he was thinking of a lot of different things. You couldn't be bothered to care.

            He started to cross his arms rebelliously but stopped when he involuntarily flinched forward away from something. A quick glance over--or rather behind since Aiichiro was so _short_ in comparison--saw your best friend standing there anxiously with his hands in the air. You guessed he'd tried to touch his new roommate cajolingly and the redhead hadn't appreciated it. The silver-haired male quailed under Matsuoka's gaze. You didn't like it. Not one bit. Aiichiro knew as much, too, if the way he scrambled to put himself in between you and the redhead was anything to go by.

 

            "It's alright, Matsuoka. I'll talk to him out here so you don't have to worry."

 

            "Yeah, whatever. Just make sure you get your crap off the floor before you go to bed tonight," he grumbled before turning away and slamming the door behind him.

 

            You snuffed air through your nostrils noisily as you shoved your hands in your pockets, "Looks like I jinxed you. Sorry about that."

 

            "What are you talking about?"

 

            You quirked an eyebrow incredulously. Did he not witness what just happened? He wasn't that blind was he? "Your roommate's awful. I mean, mine is, too, but not--"

 

            But Aiichiro had tuned to out after your first utterance. His eyes widened and his eyebrows curled in distress, "No! No, he's not! He's just...not having the best day..."

 

            "Really, love?" You began in amazement. He wasn't seriously about to justify someone looking and talking to him like he was a bug they wanted to squash was he?

 

            "I know what you're thinking--"

 

            "I don't doubt it! You should!"

 

            "--but I know him!"

 

            That gave you pause. You'd never seen that guy before in middle school. You'd certainly never seen Aiichiro talk to him. Was he a friend from before you transferred to Samezuka? You were doubtful. "From where?"

 

            The question prompted a slight blush from the pale boy. Your eyebrows (and your interest) rose slightly in awe, "We...Well, we weren't _friends_ but I saw him swim a lot when we were younger and he was never like that. He used to smile. A lot. And he was always joking around with the other members of his team. I don't know what happened to make him so mad but Matsuoka is a really nice, friendly person."

 

            You pursed your lips contemplatively. On one hand, this was Aiichiro. Just about _everyone_ became someone he cared about and could see the best in even if he didn't always show it. The fact that he was showing it so obviously with Matsuoka was odd. It almost made you want to give him the benefit of the doubt. Because he said he knew the guy even if it wasn't through a close relationship. Besides he was your best friend. That counted for something, right? You sighed and blinked your eyes to scatter your thoughts. You'd let Matsuoka have it just this once. For Aiichiro's sake. Hopefully that would be enough. "Aoyashi says 'hi'..."

 

            "Oh!" Aiichiro's blue eyes widened, pleased even if he didn't want to admit it. It was no secret that the blond's parental nature grated on him a little. He got enough of that when he was at home. He didn't usually like being reminded of his overbearing parents even at school. "You ran into him?"

 

            "Yeah, at breakfast with Habagu. Speaking of, did you eat?"

 

            "Of course!" You eyed him. He bristled--well as much as he ever does, anyway..."I did! I can't afford to miss any meals. I need to be in top shape for try-outs. Oh! Do you think Matsuoka will join, too?"

 

            "How should I know?" You almost pouted. Your attempt to change the subject had totally failed.

 

            Aiichiro's shoulders hiked as if the thought just occurred to him then he smiled apologetically, "Oh. Right. Still, he'd have to! There wouldn't be any other reason he'd come to Samezuka."

 

            "Maybe he's running from something?" That's what you'd done after all. It wasn't like there were very many places to go to avoid troubles at home besides school.

 

           Aiichiro's mouth wrinkled, "...I doubt it. He was the best swimmer I've ever seen. And he was so passionate about it. I couldn't imagine he wouldn't try-out. Oh, but that means I'll have to try even harder to make the team. With someone like Matsuoka trying out..." He seemed simultaneous put out by the extra imagined effort and motivated by it at the same.

 

 

            "You'll be great, Ai," you reassured.

 

            "I hope so."

 

            You could tell. It was the only thing you could get him to focus on for the past month. Every conversation seemed to lead back to swimming. You admired his dedication but as a non-swimmer yourself, it was kind of annoying all the same.

 

            "What about your roommate?"

 

           "What about him?"

 

            "That's why you came over here, isn't it?" Aiichiro was confused.

 

            "Yeah, I suppose," You tilted your head to the side and gazed into the ceiling further down the hall. "I got distracted. His name is Momo. And he collects bugs."

 

            Aiichiro started. " _Bugs_?"

 

            You nodded your head sagely and refused to meet his eye even as Aiichiro continued to stare into your face, "Yup. Beetles. Huge ones. I don't know how I'll sleep at night. I mean, what if they get out and I wake up with one crawling on my chest or something?"

 

            "...Ew..." You companion actually looked a little sick when you chanced a glance at him. You could sympathize.

 

            "That's not even the worst of it. He's one of those guys that swears girls are just there for a good time. He and his friends tried to get me to go along with it. It didn't work, of course, but I don't think he's done trying either..."

 

            "Does he know that you're...gay?" He glanced around nervously after whispering the last word. You smiled and huffed a laugh. He was always so worried...

 

            "No. I don't think he'd understand that such a thing is actually possible."

 

            Aiichiro's brows furrowed and a deep frown started at the corners of his mouth, "He's not a--"

 

            "Homophobe? No. I don't think he's that complicated. Honestly I think he and his friends just like breasts so much that he's convinced himself that it's impossible for a guy not to. I mean, I haven't exactly told him that I'm not into girls but it's not hard to guess. His type isn't exactly a rarity at Samezuka," you huffed a laugh. That was partially why you didn't have a shitload of friends. It wasn't that you were unpopular. It was simply that, as the youngest brother of two powerful older sisters, you couldn't see females in the same way as they. You had a different type of respect that wouldn't let you stomach their...antics. "He is bolder than most, though."

 

            "Yeah?"

 

            "Yeah. I don't think he filters much through his brain before he speaks. He asked Habagu why such an old man was still in middle school."

 

            Aiichiro's jaw dropped. It was funny to him but it only reignited the flames of irritation in your gut, "What did Bataku-kun say?"

 

            "Nothing. He just explained what it was and left it at that."

 

            "But wait...I thought you met them at breakfast. How did he--?"

 

            "He followed me. He and his two flunkies. I'm telling you, I thought it was just the one I'd have to deal with but there's three of them. You know he tried to take the top bunk from me when he first came in?"

 

            "How do you know he won't take it now while you're out here with me?"

 

            "That's a good question. If he's smart, he won't, though."

 

            "[Name]," Aiichiro began imploringly. "Don't hurt him."

 

            Your brows furrowed, "I'm _not_." Geez, did your friends think you were so triggered you'd just flick off on anyone for any little thing? You knew it was a bad idea to mention your competitive fighting background last year..."Not over something stupid like that. I'm just saying we made a deal and if he loves his bugs, he won't break it."

 

            "Don't hurt his bugs either!" Aiichiro smirked. Or he tried to. Even when he did things to seem mischievous he still looked cherubic.

 

            "Speak for yourself, Ai. I don't know which one of us has it worse."


	3. Good Night

            You awoke to an almost frantic knocking in the hall. It was so quiet though that you didn’t react at first until you realized it was coming from _your_ door.

            You sighed heavily, debating on whether or not you should move. A quick glance at your phone revealed it was almost one in the morning.

            It also showed a few missed calls and texts from Aiichiro that you’d slept through. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to piece together who was outside. You didn’t think Momo would have forgotten his key and even if he did, you doubted he was going to be back tonight. Not even a whole day and the kid had already found something to get into.

            You groaned as you rose to your knees with great effort and sluggishly shimmied to the floor. You ran a hand across the top of your head in an unconscious (and rather pointless) attempt to tame any stray strands that escaped your sleeping braid as you pulled open the doors, “…‘Ey…wha’s wrong?”

 

            Your voice had an awful guttural quality to it. It felt like something had lodged itself in your throat the second you started to speak. You wrinkled your brows and tried clearing it as Aiichiro shifted. There was a rather restless air about him that might have made you worried if you didn’t notice the little pink book cradled in front of his crotch. As it was, you simply grinned knowingly and rested your weight against the door frame. Aiichiro’s light blue eyes flickered to your mouth and, while a blush rose to his cheeks, his own lips wrinkled irritably, “I knew it! You did this on purpose!”

 

            Your smile grew larger at his whispered shout, “I donno why yer so surprised…told you I would.” Your words were distorted by the yawn you tried to speak through.

 

            Aiichiro’s full brows furrowed testily, “ _No_ , you _didn’t_!”

 

            “…” You tilted your head to the side contemplatively. Hadn’t you? Then again, you were pretty sure Aiichiro would have reacted quite beautifully to such teasing. You wouldn’t have forgot it if you had.  “…Oh. Maybe I thought it then…”

 

            “Don’t be so casual about it! What if my roommate saw it and got the wrong idea?”

 

            “You’re worried about him getting the wrong idea? What idea is that?” You were curious. The way he’d said it was…strange. You wanted to pry a bit more but Aiichiro wouldn’t stand for it.

 

            “Let me in! It’s passed curfew--”

 

            “No one cares about that,” you countered even as you complied and gently tugged him inside. School was still almost two weeks away.

            It was strange to hear your best friend ask permission to enter what was once his room. You didn’t like it. It made you feel distanced from him. Not a terrible lot. It might not have even been noticeable to be honest if not for the tiny nagging suspicion that questioned if that space wouldn’t continue to grow larger over the year…After all he wasn’t rooming with you anymore and the swim club was bound to take up even more of his time than he allotted for prepping already…That was if he got in though. You didn’t doubt his ability but a small, mean, possessive part of you still hoped he’d fail just so you could have him around a little longer.

 

            “So?” You prompted as you dragged out your desk chair and sat on it backwards. If you climbed back onto your bed you would surely go to sleep. Aiichiro’s eyes flickered tellingly but you refrained from making assumptions. “What’s prompted the great Aiichiro to break school rules?”

 

            The pale boy suddenly squared his shoulders and you knew then and there what you were about to get was a practiced response, “I just came to give you this back before Matsuoka saw it lying around.”

 

           You glanced briefly at the little porn book he held out formally before taking it carelessly between your fingers and flicking it behind you, “He wouldn’t see it lyin’ around if you weren’t so messy…Don’t tell me you already destroyed yer room?”

 

           Aiichiro twitched at the insinuation but did nothing more to either confirm or deny your suspicions. Instead he changed the topic, glancing about the room airily for something to latch onto, “Where’s your roommate?”

 

            “Dunno. Out,” you shrugged. “Now was that all…?”

 

            Aiichiro seemed confused at the question. You smiled and closed your eyes. They were getting tired. In doing so you missed his uncomfortable shifting though you heard it well enough, “I mean, you gave me back the book and even though you could have hidden it somewhere until tomorrow morning you chose to come now so what’s really wrong?”

 

            You were better at reading people than your sisters. It wasn’t hard for you to feel through the strained silence that Aiichiro had thought about lying just now. It also didn’t take much to notice the effect your steady gaze had on his decision when you opened your eyes again. He could barely meet your (color) orbs as he almost whined, “You already know what the problem is. It’s your fault so fix it…!”

 

            “…” You gazed at him for a moment longer before rising slowly, sensually, to your feet. “…Alright.”

 

            The restraint the silver-haired male maintained until now visibly fell away at your consent. You doubted he noticed it though—how his body seemed to angle towards you. How his fingers twitched and his hands raised almost longingly once you’d risen to close the tiny space between you. ‘ _At least that hasn’t changed_ _yet_ ,’ that tiny lonely part of you rejoiced in the back of your head. “Just answer me this: why didn’t you just take care of it on your own in your own room?”

 

            “Matsuoka is there,” he responded immediately as you placed a hand on his shoulder. Your first instinct was to guide him towards his bed. Problem was, it wasn’t his anymore and you didn’t feel right doing it there even if its new owner wasn’t around at the moment. Thinking quickly, you turned him around and instead encouraged him to sit where you’d been moments before. Aiichiro didn’t seem to notice. He was too caught up being outraged by your outlandish suggestion... “I can’t do that with him in the room!”

 

           Your eyebrows twitched at that logic, “But you were fine coming here even though you didn’t know Momo was going to be out?”

 

            He opened his mouth to retort but found he had no ground to argue with so he pursed his lips and blushed instead, “…I was returning your book--!”

 

            “Right. Yes. Of course,” you mocked harmlessly as you settled on the ground in front of him. “But what’ll you do if Momo comes back and sees you?”

 

            The idea never even occurred to him judging by the horrified look on his face. You hummed and reached for the hem of his bottoms. He flinched, “You don’t think he’ll come back do you?”

 

            “No,” you shook your head. “I just wanted to see where your head was at. Clearly it’s not on your shoulders because you didn’t think this through at all.”

 

            “It’s kind of hard to think when you’re…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it even with his clothed erection pointing proudly towards your face.

 

            “Stimulated, yes, I know…,” you drawled as you gathered the fabric in your hands and pulled them down just enough to free his penis. Aiichiro twitched above you. You understood why. His erection looked downright painful. Clearly he’d been wrestling with this problem for a while now. “Pass me the lube and a condom from my drawer.”

 

            It wouldn’t take long to get him off. He was already ridiculously hard and after almost a year of touching each other, you knew most of his sweet spots and vice versa.

           You squirted some of the gel into your hands first to warm it up some before smearing it over Aiichiro’s length. He was bigger than you which shouldn’t have been surprising since he was also a little older but you didn’t think you were particularly small. Aiichiro was just unusually well-endowed. (That’s what you told yourself anyway…)

           His hips bucked forward sharply at your initial contact. The flush spread down to his neck and he bit his lip…

            You wouldn’t make him wait any longer. You closed your mouth around his tip and bathed it with your tongue as your fingers tightened around his shaft. Aiichiro whimpered and you flashed your (color) eyes up to look into his face. What he saw there, encouraged him to start rocking his hips. You adjusted to his pace: loosening your fingers, and swirling your tongue when he relaxed against the chair; tightening and sucking instead when he pressed forward into you…

            It wasn’t seamless. Aiichiro was the one dictating the pace after all and you’re no mind-reader no matter your astute sensibilities.

            It was messy. You drooled a little. What didn’t run down your chin remained lathered on his length but that was the way Aiichiro preferred it.

            It made sense. He wasn’t the tidiest person by nature so of course he’d get off on making a mess out of someone as immaculate as you. You’d watched enough videos to know such a trait could get very _very_ intense. Thankfully Aiichirro, though bubbly and animated, was not the domineering type. You’d butt heads too much to do this if he were.

 

            “Could you…?” You heard him begin breathlessly. Your eyes fluttered open and filled with a quiet question. His mouth dropped open as he gazed at you blankly for a moment. You wondered what he saw. “…Ahm…closer. I need…”

 

            You hummed agreeably in the back of your throat and shifted forward. You had to rise up onto your knees a little to get an angle that didn’t choke you. He was deeper in your mouth than before. The loose bits of your long (color) hair spilled into his lap and you raised a hand to pull them back. Aiichiro’s fingers met yours behind your ear. He didn’t push or pull on you. Rather you were the anchor he curled himself around when he finally burst.

            You felt the twitching against the flat of your tongue and the pads of your fingers. You heard his heavy breathing littered with wheezing gasps. You own heart was racing against the erotic display he put on less than three inches from your face but you stamped it down. You weren’t in the mood.

            You settled on the floor, leaning back onto your hands as Aiichiro cleaned himself up with the tissues on your desk. You waited patiently for him to calm and catch his breath. There was still one more question nagging at your subconscious, “…Why’d you keep looking through the book if you knew what it was and that you were going to get like that?”

 

            Aiichiro looked down at you with a jumbled tilt of his head.

 

            You quirked a brow and tilted your head yourself, “Did you do it on purpose?”

 

            “…” Affronted by your insinuation, the silver-haired male could do little but sputter over a response. You giggled loudly. Aiichiro pouted. “You’re asking more questions than usual today…”

 

            You huffed a short laugh, “Right because you were banking on me keeping my pretty little mouth shut when you devised your plan. I understand.”

 

            Aiichiro rolled his eyes and turned his head away, “There’s no reasoning with you.”

 

            “I guess,” you said with a tiny shrug, still chortling quietly as you rose to your feet.

 

            “Where are you going?”

 

            “To sleep. I’m tired.” You yawned for emphasis as you hauled yourself back up onto the top bunk. Aiichiro lingered awkwardly at your desk. You hid your frown by pressing the bottom of your face into your pillow. “You can stay if you like--”

 

            “No, that’s okay. I should probably get back to my own dorm. Better to get used to sleeping there sooner rather than later once training starts.”

 

            You resisted the urge to sigh and tried to sound interested when you asked, “When’s that again?”

 

            “The first week of school.” He perked up then as a thought occurred to him. “The pool’s still open for everyone ‘til then. Do you want to come with me?”

 

            The pillow hid how you wrinkled your nose, “Tomorrow?”

 

            “We can,” he conceded as if that wasn’t what he’d been hoping for all along.

 

            “Ugh...fine…” you grumbled and turned over.

 

            “Great! What time--?”

 

            “When I wake up,” you responded immediately. There was no way you were getting roped into getting up early before the school year started. Not even for Aiichiro.

 

           “Oh! Then I should probably go now so you can sleep. Then you’ll wake up earlier and we can--!”

 

            “Good _night_ , Ai.” You interjected with finality as the heavy shadow of sleep threatened to suffocate you.

 

            “Right! Right! Good night! See you tomorrow!” His words were overwritten with the sound of his footsteps and the faint squeaking of the door as it opened and closed. The lock snapped into place just as you fell back asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please point out any grammatical errors I may have missed. I was so excited to get this out that I may have missed a few. I usually reread it over and over again to make sure but a lot of the times the words start to jumble together. ;P


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